Federal Fisheries Responds To Declining Populations Of Sockeye

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - Following the release of a study undertaken by Levy Woodey and Hardy in 2008 on the serious decline of the Sockeye salmon runs in the Upper Fraser and in particular the Stuart runs, Opinion 250 asked Dr Brian Riddell, of the Science Branch, Pacific Biological Station of the Department of fisheries to comment.

In their report, the group suggested  a cold water release on the Nechako would do little to reduce temperatures in the Nechako River and they called for many stringent measures to be undertaken. They argue the cold water release would not provide sufficient water to reduce temperatures in the system to assist the fish in their migration.  

In Response to the findings in the report Stuart Area Sockeye Salmon runs and their importance to the First Nations of the Upper Fraser River Watershed. Levy, Woodey and Hardy. 2008.  ( see previous story) here are  Dr. Riddell’s comments:

The Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFFCA) released a report February 20, 2008, on declining abundance of Early and Late Stuart sockeye in the upper Fraser River. 

Early and Late Stuart sockeye salmon are two of the most vulnerable salmon populations in the Fraser River due to their extended migration (lake to ocean), which covers 1,200 kilometres.  These fish are highly valued by the First Nations in the upper Fraser who depend on these salmon for food, social, and ceremonial uses.  Since the mid-1990s, both the Early and Late Stuart sockeye populations have declined severely in abundance and  there are concerns about the future survival of these important sockeye runs.

Consequently, the UFFCA undertook a review to assess the status of these sockeye and to analyze the possible causes for this decline suggesting that adverse environmental conditions during adult up-stream migration are largely responsible for the recent declines in the numbers of mature salmon returning to the Stuart lakes system.

Programs conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada have provided the vast majority of the data and information used in the review, and the Department generally agrees with the  technical issues discussed. However, marine productivity is a major issue which the report mentions but does not make recommendations on.  We  agree that future climate warming/change could further impact these sockeye populations. Departmental staff has been conducting substantial research into the up-stream passage, stress, and mortality of sockeye salmon.  A gap in the report is consideration of a substantial number of other publications related to up-stream migration of sockeye salmon and causes of mortality in the Fraser River.

The Department is fully aware of the current state of these populations, and that the Stuart sockeye populations are an irreplaceable linage of Pacific salmon important to First Nations and others in B.C.  These are the types of salmon resources to be conserved through Canada’s Policy on the Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon (2005).  As the report indicates, changes to the marine conditions and the Fraser River will bring challenges to maintaining and restore returns to these Stuart sockeye populations.  Returns in 2008 are likely to remain weak and the Department will again implement stringent fisheries management measures  to conserve these populations.

In a broader research context of what is determining the marine survival of Pacific salmon, DFO is currently working on studies aimed at understanding the early ocean and late ocean-migration phases of salmon in the Strait of Georgia. This research is in keeping with the federal government’s announcement in late 2007 of $42.5 million over three years to fund activities to conserve and protect Canadian oceans, bringing the five-year commitment for the health of the oceans to $61.5 million.  Specifically, DFO is undertaking new projects on understanding how ocean temperatures and productivity, food sources, and distribution of salmon within the Strait of Georgia have been changing. One focus of these studies is to understand how these changes have been affecting the growth and survival of salmon and other species.

DFO’s priorities are to conserve the resource, to meet food, social and ceremonial obligations to First Nations, and to support economically and environmentally sustainable fisheries.

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